Beyond Radio on notice for repeated breach

Ofcom is to monitor Beyond Radio in Lancaster after it failed to deliver on its Key Commitments for the second time in six months.

One person made a complaint to the regulator that not enough speech was being broadcast. Beyond Radio should be providing 16 hours per day of original output, but over a number of days in December, original content only accounted for between six and ten hours.

The station accepted that it was not delivering the minimum number hours of original output or all the different types of speech output required by its Key Commitments, and expressed “disappointment and frustration” at its inability to do so.

And while Ofcom acknowledged that the service was providing speech output in the form of community information, there was no evidence of documentaries, drama or comedy being broadcast.

The Licensee, PCML, was previously found in breach of Licence Conditions on 17 July 2017 for failing to comply with its Key Commitments in relation to the provision of original locally-produced programming. Following this, the Licensee assured Ofcom that it had plans in place to develop the speech content and increase the amount of original programming hours to meet its Key Commitments.

Ofcom said: “While we welcome the steps taken to develop the station, the Licensee was unable to meet its Key Commitments to broadcast original programming, and particular types of speech programming, and finds that PCML is again in breach of Licence Conditions 2(1) and 2(4).

“We are therefore putting the Licensee on notice that Ofcom will to monitor this service again, and should further breaches of this type occur, we may consider further regulatory action including the imposition of a statutory sanction.

What a pity that OFCOM doesn’t bring its not inconsiderable weight to bear on major group stations for such trivial matters. Too much regulation for the community stations, and not enough for the major players, who are expecting to get even less!